Probe into death ‘a shambles’ says coroner

A CORONER has slammed Greater Manchester Police for what he branded as ‘a shambles’ of an investigation into the death of a teenager.

During the inquest into the death of John Daniel Kolios, known as Ioannis, at Bolton Coroners’ Court, area coroner Alan Walsh heard that at least three suicide notes had been found in the flat where he died but only two had been passed to his officers.

It is sad that at 18 years of age Mr Kolios found no way of going to others to try and help him through his difficulties

Coroner Alan Walsh

It was also discovered that none of the documents taken by police officers from the scene on the night Mr Kolios died had been properly filed and did not have statements by the officers attached saying when and where they had been found.

Mr Walsh said he would be speaking to the Chief Superintendent responsible for the area.

He told Mr Kolios’s family: “Rest assured that things will not be left here. I am appalled that you have had to listen to the challenges that have been presented to me. It is a shambles.”

However, Mr Walsh said that it did not affect his ability to reach a conclusion about Mr Kolios’s death.

The court heard how Mr Kolios, from Aspull, was found hanging in the flat he shared with his partner Kelly Nightingale, by her at around 10.30pm on Januray 29.

His friend Harry Edwards told the court that he had left him at the flat on Scrowcroft Street, Tonge Moor, at around 4.30pm and that Mr Kolios had seemed fine.

But after his death a video that he had recorded at 6.13pm was found where he seemed upset, declared his love for Miss Nightingale and said ‘it was time to leave, time to say goodbye’.

Miss Nightingale told the court that they had argued the day before his death because she was going to see a friend but that they had sorted it out by Thursday.

She said they had been messaging on Facebook throughout the Wednesday and at one point she had got angry and told him she did like the man she was going to see.

She said: “We had argued but we last spoke at about 6pm on the Thursday. It was a completely normal conversation. I told him I was coming home and he was asking if there was any food at the flat.”

But Mr Walsh refused to believe that the conversation had been normal and was likely the trigger for Ioannis’s death.

He said: “I find it difficult to accept that it was a normal conversation bearing in mind the events of the previous 24 hours.

“Ioannis had been upset that she had gone to see a man and been told she liked that man. I am inclined to accept that whatever did happen at around 6pm caused him to make the video.”

Mr Walsh criticised the use of Facebook as a form of communication, saying that it was a poor replacement for face to face contact as reactions could not be judged.

He said: “I see the relationship as one typical of two 18-year-olds which was probably immature, naive and fraught with difficulty. It may be that had they been older and more mature, those issues would not have arisen.

“It is sad that at 18 years of age Mr Kolios found no way of going to others to try and help him through his difficulties.”

People affected by suicide can contact the Samaritans by visiting samaritans.org.

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